


Hypothetically

by Cake and Pi (Tarrin)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 01:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11499324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarrin/pseuds/Cake%20and%20Pi
Summary: Wally wants this to be perfect, because Artemis deserves nothing less.





	Hypothetically

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheRantDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRantDragon/gifts).



> Roughly sketched out while talking with [TheRantDragon](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRantDragon) and later turned it into a full fic.

Wally West is not nervous. He is  _not_. His hands are just ridiculously sweaty and he keeps having to stop himself from wiping them on the seat of his pants. The fact that Artemis is here with him has nothing to do with it. Or that he still hasn’t talked to her about why they’re here. He means to, honest! Has been meaning to for like a week now. But every time he works up enough courage, she’ll smile, or laugh, or the light will hit her hair just so, and every time he forgets the words he wants to use.

He wants this to be perfect, because Artemis deserves nothing less.

It’s just that he left his note cards with the perfect speech planned out at home.

So no, he’s not nervous.

He’s just terrified that he’s going to mess this up.

“ _Soooo._ ” Wally winces as his voice cracks on the word, and clears his throat hastily before trying again. “So. Say, hypothetically, I bought you one of these. Is there one you’d - hypothetically - like more than the rest?”

Artemis is silent as she comes up beside him and gives the display he’s staring at a once over. “Wally.” Her voice is calm and unstrained, which is totally unfair given the acrobatics his own heart is doing.

“Yeah?”

“There are only rings here.”

“Yeah.”

This had seemed like a good idea seconds ago. It’d seemed like a good idea for a month, even. But now, with Artemis beside him and not saying anything else, he’s not certain if maybe he’s made a mistake. He should’ve run home for those note cards; he had the perfect opening planned out and everything.

He doesn’t stop breathing when Artemis steps forward and begins to examine the rings in the display closely. He  _does_  though when she whirls to stare at him and places her hands on her hips.

“Are you trying to ask me something here, Wally?”

He swallows and is thankful he doesn’t actually choke on his own spit. “Um. Hypothetically.”

Her eyes narrow, and for a small, dire second he thinks she’s angry at him. But then she turns back to display and points at one. “This one.”

He can feel her eyes on him as he looks to see which one she’s pointing at. “I, um. What do you like about it? Because I was more thinking something green, or something that’d match your eyes, or…?”

He makes the mistake of looking at her and his voice trails off. No, she’s not mad. She’s smiling,  _smiling_ , and she’s beautiful, and he thinks she might be all but laughing at him the way her eyes are crinkling at the corners.

“Well. I could probably break someone’s nose with this style.”

Wally doesn’t realize his mouth has dropped open until Artemis reaches over to shut it.

“It’s okay, Wally.”

“I - it is?”

“Yeah.” Her hand slides down from under his chin to his shirt, and he’s expecting the tug. He lets her pull him close for a soft, quick kiss. “I. Okay.” She takes a deep breath, as if  _she’s_  nervous. “Okay. Wally West, I will marry you but only if you get me a ring that’ll mess up a person’s face if needed.”

He’d been holding his breath. He hadn’t realized.

“I- oh thank goodness. Yes.  _Yes_. Anything you want, Artemis.” His face  _hurts_  he’s grinning so much. She’s grinning too, ear to ear, and she elbows him before leaning close against him. He wraps an arm across her shoulders, and it takes til then for his brain to catch up. “Wait, why are you taking this ring on missions? Wouldn’t you take it off first so you wouldn’t lose it or whatever?”

Artemis hums quietly against him. “It’s just a ring, Wally. Losing that would be nothing like when I lost you to the speedforce for a year. Never do that again, by the way. And anyway, it’s not like I’m planning to take it on missions, but you know that sometimes missions explode right on top of us.”

He laughs and kisses her temple. “Okay, okay.” His palms have finally stopped sweating, and he thinks he might get his heart rate to calm down to something more like normal - well, his normal - when Artemis pokes his side.

“So, hypothetically, one day you’re going to show up with a box and that style of ring?”

“Um. Yes.”

“ _Um?_ ” She repeats back at him.

Oh. Shit. She pulls away from him a bit, dark eyes narrowing as she stares up at him. “Wally, if you aren’t certain then we can -”

“No, no I am! I just - I hadn’t - I wasn’t thinking about this in terms of punching power, you know?”

“Wally, I love you but you are being ridiculous.”

“ _You’re_  being ridiculous.” He mutters, looking away so he won’t see her roll her eyes.

“I’m not the one who apparently planned to  _hypothetically_  ask me to marry them.”

“I didn’t wake up today and just decide ‘today is the day’, Artemis!” He runs his fingers through his hair. This is why he had made note cards. This is why he really should have gone home for them. This isn’t perfect at all.

“So are you saying you’re…  _not_  asking me to marry you?” There’s a careful lack of anger there. A careful lack of any emotion at all, and all the pretty phrases and words he’s trying to remember fly out of his brain once more.

“What?  _NO!_  I mean - I am now! And I was going to! Eventually. Anyway, you asked me first!” This is about as far from perfect as it can be. He needs to fix it. “I love you. I love you so much. And I’ve, I’ve been thinking about this and I was so nervous that you might say no and, please please would you still marry me I know I kind of messed this up but -”

Artemis sighs, and he closes his mouth with a click. And then blinks as she pulls out her wallet and signals one of the clerks that’s been not-quite-hovering near them.

Oh.

They’ve both had their fingers sized for rings when Artemis kisses him again. “You can stop smile-crying now, Wally.”

“I’ve been trying.” He grins at her. “But then I remember that we’re  _engaged_  now and - shit. We’ve got to tell the others. They’d never forgive us if we didn’t.”

“Way ahead of you, babe.” Artemis brandishes her phone. “Been texting the group.”

“Oh, my god.”

“Dick says he’s going to try to make copies the security feed.”

“Oh, my  _god_. Do you think he’ll try to play it at the wedding?”

“Not if I and my ring of punching stop him.”

“Have I ever told you that I love you?”

“Yes. I never get tired of hearing it though.”

“Well good. Cause I love you.” He kisses her, slow and sweet. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


End file.
